Noah Kagan Just Published a Must-Read Book For Startups

The taco guy is at it again 🌮

I’m skeptical of anyone who loves tacos as much as Noah Kagan.

But there’s no denying the man’s startup credentials.

• #30 at Facebook
• #4 at Mint
• Founder at AppSumo, SendFox, and more

So, when Noah ran a promo on his book, Million Dollar Weekend: The Surprisingly Simple Way to Launch a 7-Figure Business in 48 Hours, I snatched up a hardback copy for $7.

Was it money well spent?

Here are 5 takeaways. You tell me.

1. Begin Before You’re Ready

This book drops knowledge from Page 1.

In the opening chapter — aptly named “Just Fu**ing Start” — Noah calls out the most common blocker for startups.

👉 Overthinking.

When most people decide they want to start a business, their first intuition is to learn more — read a book, take a course, seek out advice — and then take action after having carefully considered all the facts.

To combat this fear-driven tendency, Noah challenges us to focus on “The Magic of NOW, Not How.”

In practice, this looks like:

• Embracing an experimental mindset.
• Setting ambitious goals (your freedom number).
• Asking someone for a single dollar of investment.

These actions get the ball rolling.

They help us blast out of the overthinking phase and land in the figuring things out phase. 🚀

2. Ask For What You Want

I’m whole-heartedly terrified to ask for anything.

So, when Noah introduced a chapter with the subtitle “Get a Gold Medal in Rejection,” I cried a little inside.

He’s right. I know it.

Getting money is not a matter of literally getting it. It’s a matter of RECEIVING IT, which can happen only after one asks for it.

Noah is a champion at asking for what he wants. Throughout the book, he provides example after example of the ask.

He reaches out to:

• Friends
• Acquaintances
• Business owners

And he gets rejected. A lot.

To overcome the fear, and stay on track, Noah adopts rejection goals. He aims for rejection targets, embracing them as part of the process.

When was the last time you were rejected?

3. Get That First Dollar

A lot of founders fail trying to build a billion-dollar business.

Noah wants you to succeed starting with a single dollar.

It is deadly to build a business without first verifying that there are paying customers.

In a standout example, Noah talks with one of his fellow entrepreneurs.

She’s invested in a website. She’s working with a designer. But when Noah asks her if she’s made a dollar yet … well, you can guess the answer.

Her idea is interesting. But is anyone willing to buy it?

Don’t play that game.

4. Remember: Everyone’s “Interested” Until They Have to Pay

This might sound familiar.

• You come up with a business idea.
• Float it to family and friends.
• They tell you, “It’s great!” 🥳

A word of warning:

There’s a big difference between what people say and what people do.

That’s why Noah’s a big fan of validating ideas in the market. Asking for money in exchange for products or services.

• Run a short ad on Facebook.
• Pre-sell a course to your email list.
• Get commitments from folks in your community.

Don’t let words fool you.

Look for actions.

5. Create Your Marketing Experiment List

Noah doesn’t hold back his failures.

In one key example, he talks about spending $20,000 on Instagram ads that drove zero revenue for his business.

Ouch.

You never know what’s going to work when it comes to marketing. To find the thing that does work, what you need is a process of small experiments — based on your BEST GUESS of what might work. It’s all about prioritizing tactics and ruthlessly testing them!

Don’t fall into the social media trap… just because it’s popular. Don’t fall into the email trap… just because a thought leader said it’s working for them.

Test. Experiment.

Then, double down on what’s working.

To Wrap

The startup journey is rough stuff.

But with some battle-tested advice, you can skip the stumbling blocks and move faster toward a million-dollar business.

• Begin Before You’re Ready
• Ask For What You Want
• Get That First Dollar
• Remember: Everyone’s “Interested” Until They Have to Pay
• Create Your Marketing Experimentation List

Then, check out Noah’s book. It’s one of the good ones.

P.S. I have no affiliation with this book in any way. I’m here to appreciate the content and spread the good startup word.

If you’ve made it this far, growth is a serious part of your pursuits. For an added boost, subscribe to the Develop Daily newsletter. Every Sunday, I share in-depth tips on learning, career development, and productivity.